audois

Should be good fair in Carcassonne area weekend. Canari at Domic Saturday will be interesting after the recent FCL tousle. After that and the poor effort Saturday against Limoux at home. Some bells ringing at the Moulin Up the road from town on Sunday the local village team Villegailhenc are also involved in the quarter final in the Lord Derby Cup. The Gigot-Miloudi twosome are always worth watching - now in the orange/black colours of Albi

A near shock at Carcassonne yesterday. Only Escare's late try saved the Canari with the score level 24-24. The match earlier at Toulouse was 22-54. TO's reserves were a head at the break 10-18. The half- back Martin Baldy played well with a try and 4 goals and their pack gave the home side a decent work out. Not bad for the team in 8th place with 6 bonus points the best in the comp

Missing - Keighran May Pearce Manu Ma'u McMeeken Taukeiaho

Where is the young winger Etienne Depeyre got to these days

Limoux after their loss at home to Albi are going to find it difficult now to get a home a draw in the play-offs. Going to Lezigan tomorrow and away to leaders Carcassonne as well.

Television Live 09.03 Wigan v Dragons 25.03 Leeds v Dragons 08.04 Dragons v Warrington 05.05 Dragons v St Helnens 03.06 Wigan v Dragons The amount of advertising at Gilbert Brutus should do well Emmanuel Alix, directeur du pôle numérique de L’Équipe : « Après avoir diffusé la coupe du monde de rugby à XIII, nous sommes ravis de proposer le meilleur de la compétition de club avec notamment la présence de la seule équipe Française : les Dragons Catalans. Ce partenariat s’inscrit dans la promesse de la plateforme L’Équipe de proposer les plus grandes compétitions et de faire découvrir tous les sports. » Bernard Guasch, président des Dragons Catalans : « Je suis ravi de ce nouvel accord avec L'Équipe. C'est une excellente nouvelle pour nos fans mais aussi pour la Super League. » Rhodri Jones, directeur général RL Commercial : « Nous sommes ravis d'annoncer ce nouvel accord avec L'Équipe qui va accroître la visibilité des Dragons Catalans et de la Betfred Super League dans toute la France. Il s'ajoute à notre gamme existante d'accords nationaux et internationaux, alors que nous attendons avec impatience la nouvelle saison de Super League - qui débute ce week-end avec trois rencontres télévisées et également le World Club Challenge de Sydney. Nous avons profité du partenariat à long terme avec IMG pour conclure cet accord et nous sommes également reconnaissants envers nos partenaires de diffusion internationaux et l'agence RDA qui travaillent avec nous depuis cinq ans pour améliorer le profil mondial de la Super League. » Christophe Levy, Directeur Commercial des Dragons Catalans : « Nous sommes ravis de sceller cet accord avec l’Equipe. Nous avons fait le choix de la modernité en saisissant cette opportunité. Nos matchs seront en libre accès sur la plateforme digitale de l’Equipe. C’est une excellente nouvelle pour nos fans et nos partenaires mais également pour tous les amoureux de sport qui pourront profiter gratuitement de ces matchs de Super League. »

I can remember the St George side in the 1950's. Those days just ten clubs in the Sydney comp. That side won something like ten championships on the run. At that time the Kangroos came over and one game they played at Knowsley Road and Saints clobbered them 42-4. There is something in that I believe.

Tomkins, McMeeken and the Samoan May who all played in the World Cup are still out. Looks like a decent squad though

I think NFL had in the last ten years 7 different teams. We need more bigger and better teams at the top - the sooner the better

Gets better all the time. Where do you start. Lets start from the bottom with two wins from Villeneuve successively. Followed by Toulouse with 3 wins from the weekend first in the Championship, then Elite 1 and their U19s. St Esteve third placed from the bottom came back from last weekends loss at Villeneuve to nearly got the better of leaders Carcassonne - if the hooker hadn't got sent off 5 minutes from time. Down the road from Perpignan little Pia wrestled Lezignan all the way. FCL's tries came all in the first half only for the locals to match them. Only for Maloney's penalies and drop goal just about got them over line. The best of all this weekend though was at Limoux. The locals were all over Albi 20 points in no time. Miloudi and Gigot couldn't find any way through. Tony was throwing his hands up in the air and having words with Hakim with no results. They slowly chin on the chest got into sheds. Strangely the visitors came out several minutes after the break before Limoux appeared. Suddenly there was a change from some where. Gigot turned the whole thing round. Probaly the lad of old the one who won the Lance Todd at Wembley. Here he was at his best. A magnificent cross kick to his wing for a try,Then he bamboozled everybdy with a winning try. He wasn't finished either as Limoux spent the last 10 minutes hammering the vistitors line. He was a leader here too - got them in place - last seen putting a Limoux player over the touch line 5 metres out

Be interesting in Perpignan with last years holders up against St Esteve. Earlier the Canaris beat the Baby Dracs 46-16 Tomorrow the home side will have 10 players who were involved in the Dragons game against the Selection Elite last Saturday. Interest too with the young Tiaki Chan 18th in the Super League Group involved. Shoud be a good'un with sun expected. Coved too also on You Tube 16H15 (UK Time)

Dragons pack looks like Bousquet/Mcllorum/Taukeiaho/McMeeken/Seguier/Garcia/Ma'u /Da Costa/Goudemand/Navarrete - Ten Players on the edge possibly like Dezaria and young Chan. McNamara would't having those lads hanging around and maybe would be useful for TO ?

Good to see Dimitri Biscaro involved

Picked up a story around the Dragons/ Selection Elite 1 Saturday. A late player for the Elite team in 18 year old half-back Enzo Griffier from RC Salon up in Provence. His club is 7th from the bottom of Elite 2. Must have something about him. He's already talking about a place in the European competiion come in the Autumn

Catalans annouced yesterday http://www.catalansdragons.com/articles-9/266-10315-leffectif-2023-devoile/

This weekend Catalans will have 4 sides out - Wheel Chair team, Womens side, Elite 1 and U19s. Next weekend Dragons SL side play the Selection Elite as well

This year they upped their reserves - two from Villeneuse who came back to TO in Marguerite and Masselot who have played for France in the past - the former here played for France 'A' against England Knights last year. Brochon came over from the Dragons and Pelligra from Carcassonne decent level half-backs. Just this weekend their U19s beat Dragons (24-16) unbroken record too. On top of that just this week agreed with the Dragons to have players from their squad when needed.

This weekend French Cup Lord Derby 22nd January involving Elite 2/National 12 sides. Elite 1 come in next round on 19th February

Villeneuve/Lot are struggling to finish out a game for sure. Saturday at competition leaders Limoux shows how hard they are to go the distance. At 20 minutes 0-0 it read. It finshed up 54-0 for the Grizzlis – scorinh 3 tries in the last ten minutes. It was a bit like that at Champions Carcassonne too in the game fading away drasticly late on. On the other hand their U19s team are going OK defeating Limoux 10-32 Toulouse Elite 1 on the other just one place up on Villeneuve are - continuing growing. This Sunday they were at home against the rising Albi - and there new comers in Gigot and Miloud. But they handled it well - head up early on in the second half lead by former Dragons half-back Brochon and Australian scrum-half Pelligra formerly of Champions Carcassonne. Add on others like full-back Laguerre and skipper Lima they are on the move.Toulouse are way above last year Some of these players surely heading for the Championship across the Channel come the Spring

I thought the next move from IGM would be in February - not long to wait then!

Villeneuve/Lot still with out a win. They are still waiting for some overseas players held up by visas. Worth knowing too that their U19s beat Pia by more than 50 points.

Limoux presently 28pts fought out a game against young Dracs reserves down to 12 men second half - indeed stormy but better effort from them Lezignan clattered St Gaudens 52-12 turning over a loss at the Pyrenées earlier 30-20 Toulouse Elite were 10-4 up at Avignon to fall away remembering Carcassonne level at the break at SOA To me there it looks like a sort of closing in which hasn't happened in some time Yes the Aude rule the roost but with teams like Pia on the up and an Albi with Gigot & Miloudi things may be changing by the Spring Avignon at home are on the fringe too - a downer is though that SOA like St Gaudens don't run with U19 teams Chance that the Top '6' can be the best for some years !

The match of the Round or the best of the season so far - at Albi tonight. Tony Gigot along with Hakim Miloud two players who have played in Super League at length - in tandem for the orange/black. At Carcassonne earlier it was 20-12. The Aude domination could well be tested tonight and later on. Live on Youtube too at 6pm UK time

The 6 reserve lads all played at Wigan in the SL last season late on. See yesterday 30 players were there for the first time Think I saw the reserve coach Eamon O'Carroll there as well as the new bloke Neil Mcllroy who is having a say across all the teams. Be interesting to to see how it all works out. All the thirty players will be going to Spain in February. Gerone location at the Hotel Torremirona for a week. McNamara putting a lot on the stay because of the late start-up.

Younger brother than Matthieu at the Dragons; he did play once for TO I think two years back at Halifax